Important Communication Tools for Small Businesses
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Proper communication is vital to any business, but to a cash-strapped, start-up small business, efficient communication can mean the difference between sinking and swimming. Those businesses that don’t want to close their doors forever need to not only invest in a proper communications infrastructure, but they need to keep up with emerging trends and changes on the technological landscape.
With that in mind, here are some of the tools small-businesses will want to use in order to streamline the communications side of their operation.
Email hosting
No owner of a reputable small business is going to want to send out emails from a standard email provider, like AOL or Yahoo! Small businesses should opt for professional email hosting and there are number of good options, such as Google Apps.
Professional phone systems
VOIP providers such as Skype have revolutionized business communications. That said, a professional phone system, like a PBX system with an automatic attendant can not only connect an office, but it presents an air of professionalism to clients and customers. Of course, PBX systems can be prohibitively expensive, and may not be a feasible purchase for smaller organizations. For the more cash-strapped operations, a virtual PBX system is a good option.
SEO
Modern websites are not very useful unless they are optimized. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of adding targeted keywords to web content in order to achieve high rankings in search engine results. But the landscape of SEO is constantly in flux, and business owners need to take note of the trends. For example, modern trends in SEO involve creating high-quality blog posts of that are of use to a reader, rather than more generic content stuffed with keywords.
Also, business owners should commit to adding new blog posts at least twice a week in order to bring traffic to the site. This can be done via guest bloggers or in-house staff.
Easy file sharing
A professional phone system is one way to streamline office communications, but efficient file sharing is just as vita. The good news is that modern technology makes it easier for employees and team members to share files than ever before. Programs like Google Drive and Dropbox allow users throughout the office to store and share files for easy access across whole networks.
Coordinate customer info
The old methods of organizing paper invoices have no place in the modern world. These days, business owners need to keep track of countless customer and client emails as well as digital invoices. The best way to manage and organize this data is through quality customer relationship management software.
Project management
There’s no maximizing of profits unless everyone in the organization is on the same page. This is where good project management comes into play. PMS systems are helpful to this end, with programs like Teambox allowing for efficient task management.
By implementing these systems and practices in the workplace, even the smallest of operations can ensure efficient communication, which should ultimately help to grow the business. And if the business owner keeps up with the changes in technology, there’s no telling just how big their operation can become.
Cassie Lummus is an independent writer for Answering Service United. She is an expert in professional customer service.
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Category: Business Plan
